Portable apparatus for generating poisonous gases



J. VAN METER.

PORTABLE APPARATUS FoR GENERATING PolSoNouS GASES.

AFPLICAUON FILED AUG.3|1

Patented June 13, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVEN TOR. .JA/145s I4( l//w/Wfre A TTORNEY y J. W. VAN METER. PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR GENERATING PolsoNous GASES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3l. 1920.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Bymfm A TTORNEY JAMES `W'. 'VAN METER, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR GENERATING POISONQ'US GASES.

caracas.

Application filed August 31, 1920. Serial No. 407,073.

To all whom it may con-cern:

Beit known that I, JAMES W. VAN METER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Generating Poisonous Gases, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is an improved portable apparatus for generating poisonous gases and .relates more particularly to that type of equipment used for fumigation, insect, and animal extermination.

In the device hereinafter described, gases are formed by the agency of chemical combustion induced by introducing chlorine under pressure to a suitable container in which is placed a cartridge of combustible material containing the chemical ingredients of the gases to be formed.

Attention is called to my copending application for patent, filed June 15, 1920, Serial No. 389,509.

The primary object of my inventionV is to produce a portable apparatus which will enable an operator to generate and distrlbute poison gases such as chloro-cyanic gas without actually coming in contact with any of the poisonous chemical ingredients.

lVith the apparatus herein described, 1t is not necessary to measure, weigh, or handle any of the chemicals, as the same come in precharged containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible, portable device in which the amount of chlorine being used is easily discernible.

ln this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

ln the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical cross-section of a combustion chamber, showing a removable chemical cartridge and means for puncturing same for the proper permeation of chlorine under pressure.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an assembly view of my portshowing a seal adapted to be broken by the combined action of chemical combustion and chlorine under pressure.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals correspond to like parts throughout, the numerals 1, 2 and 3 designate legs of a collapsible support here shown as a tripod, adapted to be used as a standard for a scale 4.

Depending from the scale f1 is a hook 5 for removably engaging the bale 6 of a cylindrical tank 7 adapted to hold liquid chlorine under pressure.

The cylinder 7 is provided at the top .with the usual valve 8 and with an additional or auxiliary valve 9 controlling the passage of chlorine gas through a flexible conduit 10 leading to the lower end of a combustion chamber 11 as shown at 12.

The construction of the chamber 11 is best shown in Figure 1, in which it will be seen that the vcombustion chamber is preferably cylindrical in form and provided with a fianged base for better support and has an inlet 13 near the base with which is threaded one end of a union 14, the opposite end of which is connected with the conduit 10.

The combustion chamber 11 is closed at the top by a cover 15 which is held in engagement with the chamber 11 by a bale or yoke 16 having depending arms 17 adapted to engage a {iange 18 at the top ofthe chamber 11. Pressure is applied to the cover 15 by means of a screw threaded bolt 19 extending .through the center of the bale 16 and disposed in a recess 20 therein for greater safety as it requires a socket wrench to disengage same.

The cover. 15 is provided with a central bore 21.and a counter bore 22 into which is threaded one end of a nipple 23 to the opposite end of which is connected a suitable supply line Q4 adapted to conduct the gases generated within the chamber 11 to arremete point. The bore 21 and counter bore 22 provide an outlet for the chamber 11.

The cover 15 is internally threaded as shown at 25 to engage the threaded cap 26 of a chemical cartridge 27. The purpose of this construction is to permit an operator to use sealed cartridges containing poisonous material and screw the cartridge, without opening same, into the cap 15 and force the cartridgedownwardly into the chamber 11. The cylindrical walls of the cartridge 27 are of paper, pulp or any suitable combustible material adapted to be consumed by the heat of chemical combustion, assisted by the residual air in the chamber and the cap and base are preferably made of light metal such as tin.

As the cover is placed in position, the c artridge 27 is forced down on an upstanding pin 28 which ruptures the base of the cartldg@ 8S ShOWIl l,1.t,.29. The, pin 28 1s reduced in diameter past the point of entry and this' provides an entrance into the interior of the cartridge for the chlorine under pressure which is admitted through inlet 12.

The pin 28 is maintained in a vertical position by two discs 29 and 30 being riveted as shown at 31 to disc 30 and disc 29 rests on a shoulder 32 of said pin.

The disc 30 rests on an upstanding annular boss 33 formed integrally with the base of the chamber 11. This permits chlorine gas entering at inlet 12 to ll the chamber below the disc 30. Both of discs 29, 30are perforated as shown at 34, 35, to allow the chlorine gas to ascend therethrough.

1t is essential that the chlorine be moist and I introduce between the discs 29 and 30 a sponge orlike substance adapted to hold moisture and act as a capillary moisture diffuser which the chlorine gas permeates in transit through the combustion chamber before coming in contact with the contents of the cartridge 27. l

The apparatus here shown is adapted for producing chlorocyanic as and the ingredients of the cartridge 27 marked A and B represent respectively potassium cyanide and metallic particles such as metallic arsenic or metal filings.'

In operation my device is assembled as shown in Figure 3, the collapsible supportY extended anda cylinder 7 of chlorine placed on the scale and the combustion chamber 11 connected thereto by the flexible conduit l0. A cartridge r27 having been placed in the 4chamber 11,-the valve 9 is opened and the pressure of the chlorine gas causes the `chlorine to enter the combustion chamber where it encounters the potassium cyanide in the presence ofa metallic element.

Intense heaty due to chemical reaction between elements present is at once generated and while the gases pass off through supply line 24, the cartridge 27 and contents become incinerated and an ash like residue alone remains on the disc 29. This can be readily removed for disposal by engaging the head of pin 28 as 'with a claw hammer and withdrawing the pin 28 and discs 29 and 30. The

ash is withdrawn and by reason of the expansion of the sponge 36 the chamber is cleaned.

To recharge the sponge 36 is moistened and a new cartridge placed in the ,cover 15 which is clamped in place ,and ruptured as before described and the device is ready for repeated operation.

As the nature and the specific gravity of the gas formed is influenced by the amount of chlorine used 1 have provided on the dial of the scale 4 a needle37 v'adapted to be rotated and held in any'position by a thumb nut 38.

An operator of my device usually follows a given formula or chart calling for a measured quantity of chlorine, and it is desirable to set the needle 37 at this pre-determined amount so that when the indicating arm of the scale registers with the needle 37, the desired amount has beenused and the valve 9 is closed.

As an additional factor of safety in the cartridge 27 1 choose to make the cover 26 as shown in Figure 4, with an aperture in the top as shown at 39. A thin piece 40 of sheet lead or suitable foil is inserted so as t0 underlie the cover 26 and close the aperture 39. A disc 41 of tin underlies the lsheet 40 and is perforated beneath the .aperture 39 as shown at 42 and countersunk slightly beneath said aperture to admit a. disc 43 which is of tin or suitable material and smaller` than the aperture 39.

It will be seen by this structure that it is impossible to. rupture the cover from the outside as the disc 43 rotects the perforations in the disc 41. t the samentime the pressure from within of the chlorine gas and in the combustion will exert suiicient force to break the sheet lead 40. i'

Having thus what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1, A portable apparatus for generating poisonous gases comprising a collapsible described my invention,

support, a scale supported thereon, a chlorine container adapted to be removably p0- sitioned on said scale, a combustion chamber having an inlet and an outlet/and a {iexible conduit between said inlet and said container.

2. A portable apparatus for generating poisonous gases comprising a lcollapsible support, a scale supported thereon, a chlo-` rine container adapted to be removably po sitioned on said scale, a combustion chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible l' conduit between said inlet land said container and valve means in said conduit for controlling the flow of chlorine t'o said com bustion chamber. 4

3. A portable poisonous gases support, a scale lapparatus lfor generating comprising a collapsible supported thereon, a chlo- Miseria rine container adapted to be removably po-1 sitioned on said scale, a combustion chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible conduit between said inlet and said con tainer, valve means in' said conduit for conn trolling the flow of chlorine to said combustion chamber, and a chemical cartridge ada ted to be removably engaged in said com ustion chamber.,

4. ln an apparatus for generatin gases a combustion chamber having an in et and an outlet, a removable cover for said chamn ber adapted to removably engage a chemical cartridge at one end, means Within said chamber for puncturin the opposite end of said cartridge to a lovv permeation of said cartridge by gas liowing through said' inlet to said outlet and means for didas ing moisture into said as in transit.,

5. ln an apparatus or generating poi sonous gases, a cartridge of any suitable material adapted to contain chemical in.- gredients of said gases,and a cover for said container provided with means for preventing invasion o'the contents from the out side, said means adapted to yield to pres sure from within,

' 6. A combustion chamber for gas genen ating devices consisting of a container having an inlet, a 'removable cover for said con tainer, means for removably engaging a chemical cartridge, means for puncturing said cartridge, means for didusing moisture within said chamber, said puncturing means and said di'usi'ng means being removable from said chamber as a unit.

7. A. receiver having an inlet at. one end., a cap at the other end having an outlet, in combination with a cartridgel held in said receiver and containing material which -when acted upon by chlorine introduced through said inlet, produces a poisonous gas which is discharged from said outlet, and means to allow the contents of the cartridge to'be acted on by the gas. v

8. A receiver having an inlet and an. outlet spaced apart, in combination with a cartridge in said receiver and between the inlet and outlet and containing .material which When acted upon by chlorine introduced through the saidrinlet produces a poisonous gas which is discharged from said outlet, and means to allow the contents of the cartridge to be acted on bythe gas.

JES W., VAN METER 

